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Reasons to say ‘no’

Helen Mansfield, Special to The Bulletin
Published 7:00 a.m. CT Oct. 26, 2018

MHJH ninth graders visit Hackler to end Red Ribbon Week

Mountain Home Junior High Freshman Academy students in Vicki Banter’s advisory group performed a skit Thursday morning for students Hackler Intermediate School as part of a Red Ribbon Week pep rally.(Photo11: Helen Mansfield/Special to The Bulletin)

Saying “no” to drugs is all fine and good, but students from Mountain Home Junior High School in the Freshman Academy performed Thursday morning to third- through fifth-grade students at Hackler Intermediate School showing them what opportunities await them when they say no.

Thursday’s pep rally was the final event commemorating Red Ribbon Week, a national campaign started in the in 1980 to educate youth on the hazards of drug and alcohol use, provide awareness and a message of hope to communities.

Freshman Academy Leader Tammye Quick, also MHJH oral communications and journalism instructor, said pairing up with Hackler started out with her students and fellow teachers wanting to team up with “a building in our district to act as mentors and work on various service projects.”

“Hackler was an excellent choice since it is so close to the Junior High and on good-weather days, our students can walk to Hackler,” Quick said.

Ninth-grade cheerleaders from Mountain Home Junior High school were among those in attendance Thursday morning at Hackler Intermediate School to commemorate the end of Red Ribbon Week with a pep rally for the third- through fifth-grade students.(Photo11: Helen Mansfield/Special to The Bulletin)

MHJH and Hackler students started meeting up in September and the Freshman Academy students started to concoct what service projects would be most advantageous to the younger students.

Hackler students and faculty members formed a sea of red, one wearing a red cable-knit Ralph Lauren Polo sweater, others wearing red blouses and students modeling a variety of T-shirts with Arkansas Razorbacks and a few students wearing Arkansas State University shirts.

Approximately 60 ninth-grade band members under the direction of MHJH Band Director Stephan Mitchell performed pep rally favorites such as “Go Big Blue” and “Bomber Man” along with rock anthems “Paint It, Black” by The Rolling Stones and “We Will Rock You” by Queen.

Hackler Intermediate School Principal Allyson Dewey sits with her students during Thursday morning’s Red Ribbon Week Pep Rally. Ninth-grade students from Mountain Home Junior High’s band and cheerleading squad performed, along with students in Vicki Banter’s advisory group who performed anti-drug skits for the younger students.(Photo11: Helen Mansfield/Special to The Bulletin)

Ninth-grade cheerleaders lead students in cheers of “Are you proud to be a Bomber” along with “Are you proud to be drug free.”

Members of Vicki Banter’s advisory group performed anti-drug skits centered around a character named “Taylor,” featuring student Taylor Haught.

In the performance, Taylor has a backpack with alcohol and drugs in it and goes from student to student to see if any of them will partake with her. Each time, she is met with resistance as each student tells her about what future high school activity is preventing them from doing alcohol or drugs.

After the skit ended, some of the performers spoke to the students, giving the younger students the advice that they wish they could give their younger selves. One student talked about the importance of being focused, another on seeking out friends and the final student talking about the importance of participating in actives — all tools to avoid alcohol and drugs.

Mountain Home Junior High Band Director Stephan Mitchell (left) and Freshman Academy Leader Tammye Quick oversee Thursday morning’s performance by members of the junior high band, cheerleaders and academy students who performed in an anti-drug skit for students at Hackler Intermediate School. The pep rally commemorated the end of Red Ribbon Week.(Photo11: Helen Mansfield/Special to The Bulletin)

Ninth-grade drum major Rachelle Baker of Clarkridge said it felt good to be part of the pep rally for the Hackler students.

“Seeing us will teach them to get active and not think about the bad stuff, like drugs and alcohol,” Baker said.

Ninth-grade cheerleaders Isabelle Babin and Anna Gilbert both remember what it was like to be Hackler students and have older students come visit them when they were that age. Both say it left lasting impressions.

“It feels good that I get to inspire people so much younger,” Babin said. “It made me feel important and heard at that age.”

“I remember being at Hackler and looking up to the other, older kids,” said Gilbert. “We want to encourage them to participate in things like sports and show them what they can do when they’re older.”